As
we
approach
the
upcoming
holiday,
I
would
like
to
wish
all
of
our
Northgate
families
a
Happy
Thanksgiving!

Beginning
in
January,
we
will
host
another
series
of
coffees
for
our
parents
and
community
members.
This
series
will
focus
on
curriculum
and
instruction
with
the
discussion
being
led
by
Mr.
Shaun
Tomaszewski,
Director
of
Curriculum
and
Assessment.
There
are
some
very
exciting
opportunities
that
will
soon
be
available
to
our
students.
We
look
forward
to
sharing
this
information
with
our
families.

As
was
done
previously,
each
coffee
will
be
limited
to
12
participants
in
order
to
allow
ample
time
for
questions.
If
the
coffees
fill
up,
we
will
continue
to
add
additional
dates
so
everyone
has
an
opportunity
to
attend.
Below
are
the
dates
and
times.
Additional
information
about
how
to
sign
up
and
location
will
be
available
next
month.
We
hope
to
see
you
there!

Wednesday,
1/10
@
1:00
p.m.

Tuesday,
1/16
@
6:30
p.m.

Monday,
1/22
@
6:30
p.m.

Tuesday,
1/23
@
1:00
p.m.

November 1, 2017

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am writing to share with you information about an educational opportunity for students that is in the process of being developed and to answer some of the questions that have come up over the past few weeks. Last month, the School Board approved an agreement with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) that will allow us to provide dual enrollment options for our students. This will entail aligning many of our courses to CCAC’s requirements, which will provide our students with the opportunity to earn college credits at a significantly discounted rate. Currently, Mr. Tomaszewski, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, and our secondary Department Chairs are working closely with CCAC faculty. Our goal is to begin these offerings next school year.

It was brought to our attention that several rumors have been circulating during the past few weeks so I want to ensure that our families have accurate information. The first is that we are moving to block scheduling at the secondary building. We are investigating this as an option if it appears that it will better support our CCAC initiative and our instructional practices. At this time, we are very early on in these discussions. We have had some discussion at the Board level through Student Affairs Committee and with the faculty. Beginning in January, I will be hosting a series of informational coffees, during which we’ll have the opportunity to engage parents in these conversations. We will continue to explore this option with all stakeholders, using as much time as needed, to research and discuss the benefits and potential drawbacks as they relate specifically to our building.

The second rumor is that we are eliminating honors courses. This is inaccurate. We are working to align honors courses to the CCAC curriculum to allow us to offer college credit. We will encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity, but we will continue to offer an academic track.

I hope that you will join me in January or February for one of the coffees. These are limited to 12 people so we have ample opportunity for discussion and questions. We’ll offer as many sessions as needed to accommodate all of our families, and they will be offered at different times of the day. Information about the coffee meetings will be posted soon.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at cjohns@northgate.k12.pa.us or (412) 732-3300 ext. 2110.

August
17th
At
the
most
recent
board
meeting,
the
decision
was
made
to
play
the
fall
home
football
games
at
J.C.
Stone
Field
in
North
Park.
The
team
will
follow
their
regular
schedule
with
the
exception
of
the
game
originally
scheduled
for
Oct.
20th.
This
game
will
be
played
on
our
home
field
during
the
day
on
Saturday,
Oct.
21st.
This
will
also
include
Senior
Recognition.
Fan
buses
will
be
provided
for
the
games
at
J.C.
Stone
field.
Information
will
be
available
closer
to
time
about
where
to
pick
up
the
bus.

The
Band
Festival
is
scheduled
for
the
evening
of
Saturday,
Oct.
21st
and
will
occur
at
J.C.
Stone
Field.

Update on football light pole removal: The work that was originally scheduled for this week has proceeded as planned. As of this afternoon, all poles, except one in the bleachers, were removed. I had the opportunity to view firsthand the condition of the poles. It further confirmed that removing them was the only safe option. As a district, the safety of our Northgate families is and always will be the top priority.

I have had several people ask what the next step will be for replacing the lights. On Monday, Aug. 21st, the board will hear a presentation from HHSDR Architects and Engineers on their findings from the feasibility study that was recently completed. This will provide the board with a comprehensive look at the capital improvement needs in the district. This information will then be used to develop a multi-year capital improvement plan which will include any future plans for the football field.

June
28th
A
recent
inspection,
completed
by
an
engineering
firm,
deemed
the
Bellevue
stadium
light
poles
unsafe.
Due
to
age,
the
poles
are
losing
their
structural
integrity.
Being
that
safety
is a
top
priority
for
the
district,
we
immediately
began
work
on a
plan
for
removing
them.
We
applied
to
the
Pennsylvania
Dept.
of
Education
for
an
exemption
to
the
bid
process
which
was
granted.
This
allows
us
to
begin
the
work
much
sooner
than
would
be
possible
otherwise.
We
recognize
that
many
groups
depend
on
the
use
of
the
field
during
the
fall
months
and
are
actively
researching
options
for
keeping
the
field
open.
One
of
the
options
we
are
looking
into
is
light
rental.
We
are
working
to
determine
if
this
is
an
option
and
if
it
would
be
financially
responsible.
Updates
will
be
posted
on
the
district
website
as
they
become
available.
June
1st
First
of
all,
thank
you
to
everyone
who
has
already
supported
our
Making
Spaces
campaign!
We
truly
appreciate
it.
Recognizing
that
this
is a
hectic
time
of
the
year,
the
Children’s
Museum
has
decided
to
extend
the
campaign
until
the
end
of
June.
So
if
you
haven’t
had
an
opportunity
to
donate
and
would
like
to,
the
Go
Fund
Me
page
will
be
active
through
the
end
of
June.

On
a
different
note,
this
past
month
some
of
our
secondary
students
had
a
truly
unique
and
amazing
learning
experience.
We
had
two
groups
of
students
travel
to
Soergel’s
Orchardview
Stables
(SOS)
for
an
equine
experience.
SOS
is a
non-profit
organization
that
designs
programs
for
students
using
equine-assisted
experiences.
Our
students
had
the
opportunity
to
learn
and
practice
a
multitude
of
skills
including
basic
horse
care,
handling
and
safety
as
well
as
leadership
skills.
The
looks
on
our
student’s
faces
were
incredible
as
they
learned
that
they
could
demonstrate
positive
leadership
characteristics
while
working
with
a
1,000
pound
animal.
At
one
point,
a
students
exclaimed,
“Best
day
ever!”
We
look
forward
to
growing
this
partnership.

April
20th

The
spring
concert
season
is
upon
us!
Please
come
out
and
support
our
students
in
the
performing
arts.
Our
first
concert
is
next
week
on
Tuesday,
April
25th.
The
MS/HS
band
will
be
performing
at
7:00
p.m.
All
of
our
concert
dates
and
times
can
be
found
in
"Upcoming
Events."
We
hope
you'll
join
us!

Please
check
back
on
May
1st
for
a
big
announcement
regarding our
Children's
Museum,
Google
and
Maker
Ed
partnership

April
12th
As a
reminder,
the
district
will be
closed
for
Spring
Break
Thursday,
April
13th
through
Monday,
April,
17th.
Classes
will
resume
on
Tuesday,
April,
18th. On
behalf
of the
district,
I would
like to
wish all
of our
families
a
wonderful
holiday!
March
31st

To all
of the
cast and
crew of
James
and the
Giant
Peach,
thank
you for
all of
your
hard
work
during
the
months
leading
up to
opening
night.
Break a
leg!

March 27th
We have
added
another date
for a
Community
Coffee.
Please join
us on
Wednesday,
April 5th at
1:00 p.m.
We'll be
meeting
at The
Center of
Bellevue
located at 2
N. Sprague
St. Please
RSVP toldowd@northgate.k12.pa.usif
you plan to
attend.
March 13,
2017
We are
excited to
announce
that our
secondary
building has
been
selected for
the Making
Spaces:
Expanding
Maker
Education
Across the
Nation
project. We
look forward
to this new
partnership
with the
Pittsburgh
Children's
Museum,
Google and
Maker Ed.
More
information
can be found
in the press
release
found in the
"Alert"
section of
the website.
February 21,
2017

Thank
you to
everyone
who has
attend
one of
our
community
coffees.
Our
final
one is
now
full,
but we
will be
adding
more
dates.
We will
have
those
posted
soon.

January 26,
2017
Northgate is
now on
Twitter!
Please
follow us at
CarolineJohns@NorthgateProud

Northgate
Proud was
created to
share the
many great
things that
are
occurring in
our district
and
community.
It has the
sole purpose
of promoting
the positive
and
celebrating
what makes
our district
special. Any
negative or
inappropriate
comments
will be
removed.

We hope
you'll
follow us!

January 17,
2017

Please Join Me
for Coffee!

One of my
on-going goals
is to connect
with Northgate
community
members
including
parents,
residents,
prospective
parents,
retirees,
business owners,
etc. Therefore,
I am starting a
new outreach
initiative.
These informal
coffee meetings
– which will be
called
Caroline's
Pop-Up Coffee
Café -- will be
held throughout
the months of
January and
February. To
accommodate
different
schedules, the
coffees will be
held at
different times
-- with both day
and evening
hours. They will
be held at 525
Lincoln Avenue
(formerly a
martial arts
studio) and are
limited to 10
people each.

The sessions
will include
some informal
socialization
and a roundtable
discussion in
which I will
share my initial
impressions of
the district,
share some
recent
initiatives and
solicit ideas
and impressions
from attendees.

I would like to
recognize
several groups
of people for
their wonderful
support in this
project. First,
thank you to the
parent
volunteers who
are working to
transform the
currently empty
space into a hip
coffeehouse
style meeting
space… complete
with sofas and
lounge chairs.
Second, thank
you to the
Masons who are
showing their
support by
providing the
space. I am very
grateful!

Dec. 21, 2016
On behalf of the
Northgate School
District, I
would like to
wish all of our
families a very
happy holiday!
Dec. 20th, 2016
To Parents,
Students, Staff and
Community Members:

Introducing the new
Northgate
Recognition Form:
Celebrating the
Positive!
initiative…

Every day members of
our school community
go above and beyond
to be a positive
influence in our
district. We want to
recognize and
celebrate these acts
of kindness, both
small and large,
that occur on a
daily basis.

We encourage
everyone to join us
in celebrating all
of the positive
things happening at
Northgate School
District.
Click here for
further information
and a copy of the
form. Copies are
also available in
the main office in
each of the
buildings.

Nov. 29th, 2016
Please be aware
that the
calendar for the
2017-18 school year
was passed.
November, 18,
2016
It's
hard to believe five
months have past
since I first joined
the Northgate School
District.
Thanksgiving is
right around the
corner, and I have a
lot to be thankful
for this holiday
season. I am most
especially thankful
for the following:

-One of the most child-centered faculty and staff I
have ever had the
privilege to work
with
-A student body that is beautifully diverse and
incredibly
supportive of each
other
-The many family members who have made me feel so
welcomed
-A community that is genuinely invested in their
schools
-School board members who are focused on doing what is
best for our
students
-A talented administrative team who is a pleasure to
work with
And finally........A football team that does not
quit!!!!!

GO FLAMES!!!!

November, 1, 2016
1.) The Pennsylvania
Department of
Education has
released the SPP
scores for the
2015-2016 school
year. The SPP is an
academic score for
each building based
on a multitude of
factors including
standardized test
scores, attendance,
promotion rate,
graduation rate,
etc. More detailed
information and
building scores can
be found at:
http://www.paschoolperformance.org/

2.) Please be aware
that our procedures
for visitors to our
buildings has
changed. Anyone
entering the schools
will be asked for a
driver's license or
photo ID. Visitors
also must sign in
indicating time/date
and purpose of
visit. Thank you for
your cooperation in
this matter and for
helping us maintain
a safe environment.
October 21, 2016
Last week, the School
Performance Profile
(SPP) scores were
released to the public.
On Wednesday, the
Department of Education
was made aware that some
of the data used to
determine the scores was
inaccurate. As a result,
the department is in the
process of reviewing the
scores and making sure
all of the data is
correct. During this
time, the scores are not
available to the
districts or the public.
As soon as the scores
are available, we will
post them on our
website.
October 13,
2016
Earlier this
year, the Allegheny
Intermediate Unit
conducted a
communications audit
for the district.
This audit is
complete and the
consultants will be
at the October 17th
board meeting to
present results.
Anyone interested in
hearing the results
and recommendations
is encouraged to
attend. The meeting
will begin at 7:30
in the central
administration area.
October 4, 2016
Thank you to all
of the Avalon
parents who attended
the Meet the New
Superintendent event
last evening. I
enjoyed meeting
everyone and look
forward to working
with you in the
future. We have
several more events
coming up that
provide an
opportunity for
parents to learn
about what is going
on in the district
and provide
feedback. The first
is District Review
which is next
Wednesday, Oct. 6th
at Avalon
Elementary. People
interested in
attending should
RSVP to Laureen Dowd
at
ldowd@nothgate.k12.pa.us.
The second event is
the next Meet the
New Superintendent
event at Bellevue
Elementary. This is
scheduled for
Thursday, Oct. 13th
at 6:30 p.m. No RSVP
needed!

I realize this is a
very busy time of
the year for
families. If you
aren't able to
attend these events,
there will be more
opportunities in the
coming months. I
look forward to
getting to know all
of our families!

September
28, 2016
Happy Homecoming
Week! We hope all
Northgate families,
both past and
present, will join
us Friday night for
the Homecoming
festivities. The
parade will travel
from Avalon
Elementary to
Bellevue Elementary
beginning at 6:15
p.m. The football
game begins at 7:00
p.m. Come cheer on
our undefeated
Flames to another
victory. We are
NORTHGATE PROUD!

September 19, 2016
It was brought
to my attention that
there is some
confusion about the
new parking signs in
front of the
secondary building.
All of the signs now
say "Reserved." The
reserved spaces are
available to
visitors to the
building. We
apologize for any
confusion this might
have caused

September
16, 2016
Thank you to all of our
secondary students,
teachers, families and
administration for a
successful Open House!
We appreciate everyone's
efforts in making it a
great evening.

September
14, 2016
Please be aware that
the Northgate Band
Festival, originally
scheduled for Oct.
8th, has been
rescheduled to Oct
15th. We hope to see
everyone there!

September
12, 2016

I would like to
thank all of our
parents, students
and staff for a
successful
elementary Open
House! We had a
great turnout, and
it was wonderful to
see the many
positive things that
are happening in our
elementary schools.
As a reminder, Open
House for middle and
high school is this
Thursday, Sept.15th
at 6:00 p.m. We
hope to see everyone
there!

September 8,
2016
Welcome to the new
Superintendent’s Blog!
I’ll be using the blog
to provide short updates
on events happening in
the district, share
positive news and
provide general
education updates.

The first update I would
like to share is
regarding our
implementation of the
Wilson Fundations
program in all of our
K-2 classrooms. This
research based program
provides direct,
systematic instruction
in basic reading skills.
Our teachers will
receive initial training
the week of September
12th and additional
coaching days will occur
later in the year. We
are very excited about
this new program and the
benefits our students
will experience in the
development of their
early reading skills. If
you would like to read
more about the program,
you can visit the
website:
http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/progr
ams/fundations/

It is an honor
to begin my
service as your
new
superintendent.
Enclosed you
will find a copy
of my
100-day entry
plan which will
guide my
activities as I
transition into
the district.
The framework of
the plan is
focused on three
areas:
listening,
learning
and leading.
As I begin my
work in the
district, my
first priority
will be getting
to know the
members of our
school
community. It is
my goal to meet
each of you,
develop an
understanding of
your work and
hear from you
how I can best
support your
efforts. The
second component
is focused on
learning. I look
forward to
spending time in
the buildings
and central
office learning
about the
educational
program we
provide and the
many district
functions that
support our
schools. I will
also focus on
developing an
understanding of
the community we
serve and the
expectations of
our parents and
residents. As my
first 100 days
conclude, we
will have
already begun,
as a team, to
define a common
vision for
moving the
district into
the future.

Throughout my
career in
education, I
have maintained
a steadfast
focus on doing
what is best for
children. I
believe that in
order to do
this, I must
serve as a
support for the
faculty and
staff who deal
directly with
our children on
a daily basis.
Therefore, I
will maintain an
open door policy
for all of our
employees. I
welcome your
input, so please
do not hesitate
to request a
time to meet
with me or
to stop me in
the hallway when
I am in your
building. I look
forward to
working with
each and every
one of you.

It is an honor
to have been
selected as your
new
superintendent.
I recognize that
the arrival of a
new
superintendent
can be a time of
excitement and
anticipation,
but it can also
be a time of
anxiety about
the unknown.
Prior to my
official start
date and during
my first few
months in the
district, my
goal is to
devote the
majority of my
time meeting
with various
stakeholders.
This will
provide all of
you an
opportunity to
share with me
your past
experiences and
hopes for the
future. As we
begin to build
relationships,
my hope is the
initial anxiety
will quickly
turn into
excitement about
the future.

In June, I will
be submitting a
Transition Plan,
which will guide
my first 90 days
in the district.
The purpose of
this plan is to
set a tone of
transparency,
inclusiveness
and positivity.
I believe that
in order for a
district to
achieve
greatness, a
foundation of
strong
relationships
and an inclusive
environment
where all
stakeholder
voices are heard
must be in
place. We have
much work ahead
of us. I look
forward to
beginning this
journey with
you.

Pre-Entry
Activities:
• Meet with
central office
administration
• Meet
individually
with building
principals
• Engage in
building visits
with principals
prior to end of
the school year
• Attend school
board meetings
• Meet
individually
with school
board directors
• Finalize entry
plan with school
board
• Review most
recent student
achievement data
• Review
teachers
observations and
evaluations
• Develop
schedule for
meeting with
faculty, staff,
parents,
students and
community
leaders

Superintendent
NamedMay 9, 2016
On Monday, May 9
the Northgate
Board of School
Directors voted
unanimously to
name Mrs.
Caroline Johns
as the
district’s next
superintendent.

“I am extremely
honored and
excited to join
the Northgate
district. It was
very apparent
throughout the
interview
process how much
people in the
district
genuinely care
about their
children and the
community they
serve.”

Mrs. Johns
received a
Bachelor of
Science in
Elementary
Education and
Master of
Education from
Ohio University,
an Educational
Specialist in
Administration
degree from
Cleveland State
University and
is currently
completing her
doctorate in
Administrative
and Policy
Studies at the
University of
Pittsburgh.

Dr. Werlinich
did an
outstanding job
working with the
Board, and we
want to thank
him for guiding
us through the
process. Most
importantly, we
would like to
thank the
community for
their
participation in
this process.
Whether you
attended a
stakeholder
meeting or
shared your
thoughts
directly with
the Board, your
voice was heard
and the input
you provided
helped us find
the best
candidate for
the district.

The search for a
new
Superintendent
has been a
challenging
undertaking, but
we are extremely
pleased with the
result and look
forward to
working with
Mrs. Johns. We
strongly believe
that Mrs. Johns
is the candidate
to successfully
unite our
district in
building upon
our strengths
and help us
overcome the
challenges that
we face. Her
anticipated
start date is
July 1, 2016.

About Mrs.
Caroline Johns

Caroline Johns
has worked in
the field of
education for
the past 21
years. She began
her career as a
teacher in a
residential
facility for
children with
severe emotional
disturbance. She
left there to
serve as a
secondary
special and
regular
education
teacher in the
Bay Village
School District
located in the
western suburbs
of Cleveland,
Ohio. Mrs. Johns
made the
transition into
administration
when she and her
family relocated
back to her
hometown of
Pittsburgh.
Since then she
has served as a
middle school
assistant
principal in the
Quaker Valley
School district,
elementary
principal,
director of
instruction and
most recently
Assistant
Superintendent
for Teaching and
Learning in the
Moon Area School
District.

She has a
Bachelor of
Science in
Elementary
Education and
Master of
Education from
Ohio University,
an Educational
Specialist in
Administration
degree from
Cleveland State
University and
is currently
completing her
doctorate in
Administrative
and Policy
Studies at the
University of
Pittsburgh. Mrs.
Johns states
that throughout
her time in
education, she
has maintained
one basic
philosophy:
always stay
focused on doing
what is best for
kids. She
resides in Moon
Township with
her husband and
son.

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